Published on: 2026-10-05
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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On the portal “Discover Moscow An audio guide for the permanent exhibition has appeared V.L. Pushkin House Museums on Staraya Basmannaya Street (house 36). This is a cultural heritage site of federal significance.
The poet Vasily Pushkin, uncle of Alexander Pushkin and his first literary mentor, entered history not only as the author of the poem “The Dangerous Neighbor,” which spread across Russia in thousands of handwritten copies, but also as a person in whose Moscow home gathered the former Minister of Justice and poet Ivan Dmitriev, Prince Pyotr Vyazemsky, poet Anton Delvig, writer Nikolai Karamzin, poet Vasily Zhukovsky, and other famous literary figures.
“With the audio guide of the V.L. Pushkin House-Museum exhibition, visitors will be able to learn that Alexander Pushkin’s uncle was a frequent and welcome guest at the suburban estate Ostafyevo of Prince Pyotr Vyazemsky, see an illustration for the famous poem ‘Dangerous Neighbor’ — a brilliant literary parody and bold satire that turned into a game for readers to recognize the poet’s literary opponents. Museum visitors will be able to examine the ‘Library’ clock, an oil lamp from the Apraksin estate Olgovo, an illustrated almanac for children, a portable travel lantern, and other items from the era of V.L. Pushkin,” the press service of the capital city reported.
The tour begins near one of the exhibits — a beadwork piece titled “Basket with Flowers,” created by unknown authors in Irkutsk in 1825.
Next, the audio guide will tell you about the three-candle candlestick from the suburban estate of Prince Pyotr Vyazemsky Ostafyevo. Vasily Pushkin was friends for many years with both generations of the estate’s owners — first with Prince Andrey Vyazemsky, and then with his son Pyotr. The poet also had the opportunity to observe Nikolai Karamzin working there on the “History of the Russian State.”
A travel writing box from the 1803–1804 trip is on display. Thanks to the digital guide, museum visitors learn that when closed, it served to carry paper, envelopes, sealing wax, and a seal, and when opened, the lid folded back to form a slanted surface that could be used as a writing desk. Vasily Pushkin visited Germany, France, and England, was received by the Paris literary society, met famous French writers, and was introduced to Napoleon — then the First Consul of the French Republic.
The audio guide also provides detailed information about the mantel clocks with a figure of Cupid. They were created during the golden age of decorative bronze in the Empire era, characterized by monumental forms and strict simplicity. Alongside large mantel clocks in the first third of the 19th century, more compact models were also made: elegant sculptural compositions were placed on a rectangular base.
Listeners to the digital tour guide will also learn about the table-shaped rectangular piano — the tafelklavier. This type of instrument features horizontal string placement, a shortened keyboard, and one “forte” pedal. The instrument was especially popular in Europe and Russia from the late 18th to the late 19th century due to its compactness and convenience. A tafelklavier can be seen in the living room of the house museum, where well-known literary figures gathered.
Continuing the tour, visitors will see illustrations for Vasily Pushkin’s poem “The Dangerous Neighbor,” which became an unofficial manifesto of the language reform supporters — Nikolai Karamzin, Konstantin Batyushkov, and Vasily Zhukovsky. They engaged in a debate with the conservative Shishkovists from the literary society “Conversation of Lovers of the Russian Word.” In 1811, the work instantly spread throughout Russia in thousands of handwritten copies, since it was impossible to officially publish the poem due to censorship. “The Dangerous Neighbor” was published in a form accessible to the general public only in Leipzig in 1855.
You can purchase tickets to the V.L. Pushkin House-Museum through the service “Mosbilet”.
“Discover Moscow” — a joint project of the city departments information technology, cultural heritage, education and science. The portal features over 340 walking routes across various districts of the city. The interactive guide contains photographs and descriptions of nearly 2,400 buildings, more than 700 monuments, 410 museums, 520 historical sites, and 480 famous personalities whose lives were connected to the city.
The creation, development, and operation of e-government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant services, as well as other services and amenities in electronic form, align with the objectives of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration.” You can learn more about Russia’s national projects and the capital’s contribution at special page.
A large-scale project is presented on the portal mos.ru special project, dedicated to the development of key areas of Moscow. These include transport, industry, healthcare, education, sports, and the construction sector. The special project helps to learn how the capital has changed over recent years, what initiatives aimed at making residents’ lives even more comfortable are currently being implemented, and what awaits Moscow and its inhabitants in the near future.
On the project page “Culture, heritage, and leisure industry” you can learn about how architectural monuments are preserved in the capital.
Moscow is the center of the country’s cultural life and ranks among the leading megacities in terms of the number of museums and exhibition halls. The city has established a film cluster that includes the Moskino film factory on Ryazansky Prospekt, the Gorky Film Studio, and the Moskino film park.
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